1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention lies within the art of diving. More particularly, it lies within the art of diving with the utilization of a snorkel. The utilization of the snorkel can be with or without a self-contained breathing apparatus. The snorkel finds use both for skin diving (i.e. without self-contained breathing apparatus when one swims on the surface and utilizes usually a mask and fins) as well as when one dives to certain depths using self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.
2. The Prior Art
The prior art with respect to snorkels comprises a myriad of breathing apparatus. Generally, they try to accomplish the ability of a diver while swimming on the surface with a snorkel to breath freely and easily without the introduction of water into the mouthpiece.
The introduction of water into the mouthpiece has been a constant problem for divers using snorkels. The prior art has tried to solve it in years' past through various valves and purge systems. Some simple flotation valves used a pingpong type ball and a cage which partially prevented the flow of water into the mouthpiece. Subsequent sophistication provided for purge systems which incorporate the utilization of purge valves. Such purge valves have been utilized at mid-points along the snorkel tube as well as at the ends. In the utilization of such purge valves at the mid-points and ends, it has been common to allow the purge system to use a mushroom type valve or round flapper having a stem. The round flapper with a stem is seated over an open work or grid. When strong exhalation takes place for the purge of water, it drives against the resilience of the purge valve flapper so that it opens and allows the purging of water with the air therefrom.
The utilization of a purge valve has been such wherein it has also been incorporated in separate lateral conduits and bifurcations to allow for the orientation of the purge system in a manner so that it traps water in a presumably optimum manner. Certain purge valve systems have been utilized along a mid-portion of a snorkel conduit.
Recent purge valve systems for snorkels have incorporated a baffle. The baffle usually bifurcates the purge valve conduit from the inlet of the mouthpiece. In doing so, the water is assumed to drain through the purge valve inlet into the purge valve area and be expelled therefrom. The snorkel baffle supposedly eliminates the intake of water into a user's mouth by trying to bifurcate and exclude the water from a user's intake conduit into the mouthpiece. Although this method of elimination of water from a user's mouthpiece for the snorkel has been somewhat successful, it has not provided a snorkel capable of eliminating water in the best possible manner. This is due to the fact that the water tends to sometimes slosh back or become oriented in a manner whereby it is implaced above the baffle toward the mouthpiece. In the alternative it can be of such magnitude due to the nature of the conduit that a user tends to breathe the water inwardly along with the air because the baffle does not protect the inlet to the mouthpiece.
It is believed that the design of this particular purge valve system for a snorkel and its orientation in the preferred embodiments, as well as in the broad conceptual aspects is a significant step over the art. The mouthpiece and purge system have proven to be particularly adaptable and successful in eliminating water from the mouthpiece of the snorkel. Additionally, it has significantly limited the amount of water one breathes in inadvertently by eliminating baffles and making sure there is a clear and unobstructed passage from the main elongated tube of the snorkel toward the mouthpiece. To this end, it eliminates the baffle concept and the various parallel and dual conduits which have been a problem with respect to the utilization of snorkels.
The attendant result is a purge valve system which easily purges water that has entered the snorkel. Also, a substantial capability of breathing is enhanced by the configuration of the unobstructed flow passage of the snorkel, by eliminating baffles and various conduits that have previously been utilized to provide for a purge valve system.
Consequently, it is believed that this invention is a significant step over the art, both from the standpoint of its structural difference, as well as the nature of its operational features thereby providing significant results over that of the prior art.